Cross brace



Sept; 61 .1927. 1,641,885

- K. c. GARDNER 'CROSS BRACE Filed June as, 1927 I IN VEN TOR. v

Jim/M? c (Fara/x7e."

BY ;v a 3% ATTORN'Y6.

Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

(UNITED STATES PATENT oF c KENNETH G. GARDNER, OF GREENVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREEN- VILLE-STEEL CAR COMPANY,OF'GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CROSS PEACE.

Application filed June 23, 1927. Serial No. 200,835.

This invention as indicated relates to a cross brace. More particularlyit comprises a brace adapted to be placed transversely of railway carsto: maintain the sides thereof in position and strengthen the entirestructure. It isespecially important in connec tion with railway cars ofthe gondola and hopper type in which material in bulk is frequentlydropped from steam'shovels and other loading apparatus, subjecting saidcars .to severe strains. The invention is intended primarily for metalcar constructions, but it maybe found desirable in connection with, carbodies of other material such as composition sheets, or wood combinedwith metal, or othercombinations thereof;

The principal object of the'present invention is to provide a bracewhich may beformed of three plates which when united into an integralstructure preferably by means of a welding operation, will provide astructural unit in which no part of the metal has been subjected toundue strain. It also permits of the use of a central structural elementof lighter gau e than the end members, thus providing for strength atthe points where the greatest strains are to be met, and adequatestrength without undue weight through the central portion of thestructure. Furthermore, should the parts through undue exposure besubjected to conditions which would cause corrosion, the heavy gauge ofthe metal at the ends of the structure would prevent the failureof. thestructure at the ends priorto the Wear of the'structure over the bodyportion and the cross brace thus'would havea uniform period of servicethroughout all of its structural parts. r I

It has heretofore been proposed to form car braces by bending certainportions of the metal to form flanges, but this operation unless carriedout with care may result in mi- .i

croscopic lines of fracture adjacent the point of bending or in athinning of the metal 'at V v a point where it should be of greatestthickness; This involves the use of relatively heavier gauge materialthroughout the structure in order to supply adequatestrength at thepoints where such heavy gauge is reqtured. Thus an excess of materialbeyon'd what is required at certain parts of the structure inevitablyresults. i

' The present invention provides for the proper proportioning anddistribution of the material in the members used to make up the brace sothat the terminal members may beof heavier gauge and the intermediateportion of lighter gauge, with the entire structure fully adequate tomeet the conditions under which it is to be used. The central member ispreferably a hollow member and may be in the form of a tube or otherhollow structure of any desired cross-section. The preferred form ofconstruction, however, contemplates the use of a central member formedof an elongated sheet of metal, or equivalent material, of suitablegauge bent or formed upon a radius of sufficient size to prevent injuryto the texture of the sheetat the pointof curvature, and having itssides substantially flat and approachwill be apertured to correspondwith the cross-section of the central or intermediate member and whenthe structure is made of metal preferably will be secured to said memberby means of electric welding whereby a fillet of metal is formed at theinner meeting line of each end plate and the adjacent outer surface ofthe intermediate mem her when the end of said intermediate member isengaged through the aperturein the endplate. In addition to the featuresjust described, the construction permits of any desired size of endplate, and provides for the placing of bolt or rivet holes at the mostfavorable points through the end plates forming the end flanges of thecompleted brace. f I

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said'inventionthenconsists of the'meanshereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims. I

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, butone of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used. A

In said annexed drawing: l is a perspective View showing a car bracewith the end plates secured to the body portion thereof; Fig. atransverse sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. l: and Fig. 3is a central longitudinal sec tional view taken along the line ill shownin Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

in the form of construction illust ated in the d airing, the imprmcdbrace l is formed of three plates of sheet metal. the central or bodyportion 2 conu irising an elongated plate l out to hollow fUlll'l of aspecihc crosssection and the end portions 3, l, comprisinguubz-tantially square plates having the central portions punched throughto provide in each an aperture of the crosssection of the ends of thebody ptltiltlll. The body portion is formed of an elongated plate ofsheet metal bent or folded by means of suitable apparatru; to provide acentral brace section having; a rounded upper edge of substantiallysemi-rircular extent as red in crosssection and having sides t ofsubstantially :tlat inclined portions app reaching each other adjacentthe lower edge. The end plates are preferably punched in a suitableint-c Linc :ula ted to provide an aperture of substantially the enactor; s :tion of the body portion, and said plates are then telescopicallyengaged over the extreme ends of the body portion, respectively, untilthe rearard or outer faces thereof are substantially illush with theends of said body portion. In means of a suitable electric welding upparatus, a welded joint is then formed between the inner edge of eachend plate and the adjacent surface of the body portion of the brace. Thewelding operation may take. different forms but preferably is producedby means of a direct current welding ma chine. wherein a fusibleelectrode is employed to form a lillct 7 of metal about. the meetingpoint of each end plate with the body portion on the inner side of saidend plate. ll'hen the inner side or inner surface of an end plate isreferred to itis intended to designate the portion of the plate towardthe middle portion of the cent ".11 member This operation fuses the t"lded metal to the adjacent surfaces of the end plate and the bodyportion, and lirnily unites the end plates and body portion to eachother, to an appreciable depth within the space over which said partsare in telescoped relation.

During the operation of punching the openings in the end plates for theends of the body member, suitable openings 8 may also be punched to formthe rivet or bolt holes in the end plates which plates when united tothe body member form the flanges of the brace structure. The weldingopera tion j ust described is, of course, performed upon the end platesat each end of the body member and may be carried on eithersiniultaneously or successively. The structure thus formed presents abrace having flange plates of suitable garage integrally unitedthcrtwvith at each end and provided with the desired apertures forsecuring the same to the structure to be braced.

The .tillct formed in the welding operation not only integrally unitesthe adjacent parts and clozccs the seam between each end plate and thebody member securely, but also serves to prevent the entrance ofmoisture at the points of juncture. The bending of the body member, asstated, is upon a substantial radius and no change in the mo lccularstructure of the body portion takes place.

The end plate: obviously are not subjected to any lien-din; ,r sire: csand are therefore free. of microscopic fractures or changes in tesdurewhich migzht ali'ord a point for the entrance of lilOlL-itlltt) and thedevelopment rapid oxidation. lllu: end plates have perfectly tlatrearward laces allording a 1 iaiinuin area of contact: withtheadjacentstructure when secured thereto and have no curred .tlau 'ci-i whichmight be warped out of shape owing); to stresses impressed in the metalat the time they were fOl'lllCtl.

The constructitm described provides for economical production without:introducing any structural weakness, it permits of the elimination ofexcess inaterial at points uhcre it: is not needed, and accolnmodatesthe structure crzictly to the charimtier of worl; to be per formed byit. The ctmstruction permits the provision of braces in repair workwhich are proportioned to the prospective period of further service ofstructures undergoing repair, rather than greatly in excess of suchprospectiveterm of serv', :e, or, on the other hand, below the necessarydegree of stren, th as a whole, oi in part, for the work still to beperformed by such repaired structures.

This feature of the invention is therefore of great importance from anianufacturing and operatire standpoint, and the results attained are ofmuch (ZCOIiln'hlC value.

Other modes of applying; the rinciple of my intention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as recards the mechanismherein disclosed, provi dcd the n'icans stated by any of the followring;claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention- 1. it brace member for railway car bodies having an elongatedhollow central member and separate tlat: end plates integrally sccuredthereto by a lillet at the inner surface of each end plate and spacedfrom the end of said central member.

2. A brace member forrailway car bodies having an clmugated hollowcentral meu'iber and t l at end plates integrally secured thereto, by afillet formed by electric welding uniting the inner surface of each endplate to the adjacent outer surface of central memher, said fillet beingspaced from the respective ends of said central member.

3. Abrace member for rail-way car bodies having an elongated centralmember formed of metal of predetermined gauge and end plates formed offlat metal of heavier gauge than that of said central member andintegrally united thereto.

4. A brace member for railway carbodies having an elongated centralmember formed of metal of predetermined gauge and end plates formed offlat metal of heavier gauge than that of said central member andintegrally united thereto by a fillet formed by electric Welding unitingthe'inner surface of each end plate to the adjacent outer surface ofcentral member.

5. A brace member for railway car bodies having an elongated hollowcentral member formed of sheet metal folded upon a central median lineto provide arounded upper edge and flattened approaching side walls, andend plates provided with apertures to receive theends of said centralmember, and means integrally uniting said end plates to said centralmember. 7

6. A brace member for railway car bodies having an elongated hollowcentral member formed of sheet metal folded upon a central median lineto provide a roundedupper edge of substantially semi-circularcross-section,

and substantially flat inclined side walls said vcentral memberand'rivet holes formed at spaced points through said end plates.

8. A method of forming a cross brace for railway car bodies whichcomprises the steps of bending an elongated strip of sheet metal ofsuitable gauge along a central median line to form a hollow centralmember, perforating two plates of sheet metal of heavier gauge centrallyto provide apertures of a size suitable to telescopically receive theends of said central member and simultaneously forming a plurality ofrivet holes through said end plates engaging said end plates upon therespective ends of said central member and forming a fillet of metalintegrally uniting the inner surfaces of said end plates with theadjacent surface of said central member and sealing the joints betweensaid members.

Signed by me this 18th day of June, 1927.

KENNETH O. GARDNER.

